Wire lifter and spacer.



O. E.',MONROE. WIRE LIFTER AND SPACER. APPLICATION r1150 MAR. a0. 1915.

Patented. June 27, 1916.

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Oil/Yak? OLIVER E. MONROE, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

WIRE LIFTER- AND SPACER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 27., 1916.

epplication flled March 30, 1915. Serial No. 18,115.

To all w/lcm it may concern:

Be it known that I, OLIVER E. Mormon, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wire Lifters and Spacers, of which the following is a specification.

As is" quite well known generally, it often becomes necessary to renew insulators carried by the cross arms of telegraph poles as well as to take up slack in the strung wires, necessitating that the linemen come into more or less intimate contact with the conductors in carrying out their duties which become extremely hazardous if said conductors involve those employed in high tension service. As a matter of fact, to enable repair or replacements to be accomplished, it is not unusual that the current is turned oif accompanied by a cessation of service and expensive delays to consumers.

To obviate these difficulties or disadvantages is the object of my present invention which enables the linemen to operate at a distance, manipulating the wires and holding same spaced from the cross arm while the insulator is replaced or removed, as the case may be.

The invention comprises a rod having a wire engaging and holding element at its upper extremity and adjustable supporting means intermediate its length for attaching the rod to a cross arm temporarily in order to hold the wire spaced therefrom during manipulation of the insulators.

With the above and other objects in view, this invention consists in the construction combination and arrangement of parts all as hereinafter more fully described, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein: k I

Figure 1.is 'a view showing the apparatus of my invention in use as applied'lto'a telegraph pole for holding the wire spaced from the cross arm.. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the implement comprehended by my invention. Fig. 3 is a front elevation thqreof; Fig. 4 is anenlarged sectional view takenon the line 4.-4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the wire guard and guide elements of the wire engaging member forming a part of my invention.

vThroughout the following detail description, and on the several figures of the drawing, similar parts are referred to by like reference characters.

Referring to the drawing, and specifically describing my invention, the numeral 1 designates a rod or stick preferably rectangular in cross section and of a suitable length for best carrying out the function comprehended by this invention. The lower extremity of said rod has secured thereto a hand gm 2, preferably of insulating material su'c as rubber or the like.

The upperend of the rod has disposed thereon an in-" sulator 3 0f any desired form or configuratron having a groove 4 extending transversely thereof and constituting a wirereceiving seat. Connected to this. insulator is a Wire engaging guide and guard which wardly along the line of the insulator surface is a guide finger 5, terminatin just slightly overhanging 'the groove 40f t e in- I sulator. From the opposite member 6 ex, tends upwardly an overhanging guard arm.

6 which projects over and in spaced relation to the guide finger 5 terminating approximately opposite the base 6'. It will be apparent that when this element of the device is engaged with awire, the latter passes upwardly between the finger 5 and arm 6*, being guided over the former into the groove 4: from which it is incapable of being accidentally displaced by swinging or pairing of the conductor or wire. Incidentally the member 6 is formed with an inner shoulder 6" assisting the passage of the wire into the groove 4 as aforesaid.

Thesecond feature of this device is the adjustable "supporting means mounted on therod which consists of a clamping sleeve 8, rectangular in cro'sssectionto conform to the shape of the rod, and having a longitudinal slot-9 at opposite sides of whichslot is provided projecting apertured lugs 10, 10 through which fastening members or bolts 11, 11 extend for clampingthe sleeve to the rod. On the opposite side, the sleeve 8 is recessed as at 12, and said recess is of sufficient depth to receive a circular plate 13 rotatably mounted in the recess on a pivot 14 secured to the body of the sleeve as best disclosed in Fig. 4 of the drawing. Olfstanding from this plate are a pair of spaced apertured ears in;which is pivotally mounted a relatively large hook 16, of sufficient size to be engaged 5' over a conventional cross arm of a telegraph pole in a manner'discloscd in Fig. 1. The inner and upper portion of this hook is toothed or serrated as at 17 toprevent the hook from slipping. This hook may be said 1.0 to have a triple adjustment or movement.,

from a position beneath said arm, the sleeve 8 is formed with an upward extension 18 having outwardly projecting spaced friction gripping elements 19 between which the hook is received and held in accomplishing the above attachment.

Retaining plates 20 and 21 are attached an to the sleeve 8 by means of screws, one plate at each side of the member 13 over which they extend a sufficient distance to hold the plate in its rotative movements and prevent the same from binding at the top or the bottom.

, In the use of the device the lineman after ascending the pole to within. a suitable distance from the cross arm inserts the arm 6 of the wire engaging member at the upper 40 extremity of the rod over the wire to be displaced, engaging said wire in the seat or groove 4 whereupon it is lifted to a suflicient height to enable the hook 16 to be engaged over the cross arm of the pole. The lower end of the rodis then preferably strapped to the pole, leaving the lineman free to manipulate the insulator to be removed or replaced as the case may be, the handling of said in-- sulator being accomplished: by means of a so special tool or implement forming the sub jest-matter of a separate application. With this arrangement the lineman does not need to come into physical contact with the live wires carrying high tension currents either 65 indisplacing them or application of an in sulator or tying said wires-in proper position, nor is it requisite thatthe current be turned ofi during repairs or such replacements as mentioned.

As hereinbefore premised, to regulate the spacing of the wirefrom the cross arm, it is only necessary to adjust the sleeve 8 upwardly or downwardly on the rod 1 in an obvious manner. I

I desire not to be limited to the exact configuration or details of construction disclosed by the drawing in this application since itis within the scope of the appended claims and spirit of the present invention to make slight changes in the details of construction. 1

Having thus described my invention, wha I claim as new is:

1. In a device of the class described, a support, a wire engaging element thereon comprising a seat for receiving the Wire, and a guard on said engaging element for preventing displacement of the wire, including a memberextending over the seat in spacedrelation thereto and transversely of the wire when disposed in the seat, the memberhaving a downwardly bent portion so arranged as to provide a lateral entrance to the seat.

2. In a wire lifter and spacer, the combination of a lifting member, a .wire engaging element carried at one end thereof, a freely rotatable supporting -member pivotally mounted on said lifting member, means for adjusting said supporting member on "the lifting member, and friction means for holding the said member from accidental rotation.

3. In a wire lifter and spacer, the com"- bination of, a lifting rod, a wire engaging member mounted thereon at one' end and insulated therefrom, and sup orting means for holding the rod at a pre etermmed position comprising a sleeve clamped to the rod, and a support engaging member swivelly connected to said sleeve.

4:. In a wire lifter and spacer, the combination of a lifting rod, a wire engaging member mounted thereon at one end, supporting'means for said rod comprising a sleeve, means for holding said sleeve at adjusted positions, a support engaging hook, ,a'connecting member having revoluble connection with the sleeve for rotation in planes parallel to the rod, and a pivotal connection on said connecting member for connecting said hook thereto.

5. In a wire lifter and spacer, the combination of a liftin member, a wire engaging member carried at'onc end thereof, supportin means adjustably connected to said: mem er and comprising a sleeve adjustable toward and'from the wire engagingmember, a supporting hook swingingly mounted on said sleeve, and retaining means for said hook for holding the same in operative position, preliminary to engagement Ehereof with a support forsaid lifting mem- 6. In a wire lifter and spacer, the combination of a lifting member for the manipulation of wires, supporting means for holding said lifting member in a predetermined position, and a wire engaging ele ment at its extremity comprising an insulating member secured to said lifting member and formed with a Wire receiving seam and guard means connected to said insulating member ior guiding the wire into and preventinv displacen'ient of said Wire from the seat amresaicl.

7. In a wire lifter and spacer, the combination of a" lifting member for the manipulation of wires, supporting means for holding said lifting member in a prede'iier mined positinn, :1 wire engaging element comprising an insulating member having a Wire receiving seat, and guard means cm operating therewith for preventing acci- @egies 0: this patent "may be dental displaeenientof the wire from sei seat, the guard means consisting of an arm overhanging the seat, and a clamping element for attaching said .guard member to the insulating member and having a guiding finger arranged to coiipemte with the overhangingarm substantially as specified.

In .testimony whereof I alfix my'signature in presence of two Witnesses.

OLIVER E. MONROE.

Witnesses:

HENRY C. BAKER, KEVA MUSE,

ebieiziefi for five eenta each, lay addressing: the Commissiene? 0t Patents,

Washing'tem, E. ii, 

